Implement for bending or straightening rails.



G. T. McELROY.

IMPLEMENT FOR BENDING 0R STRAIGHTENING RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, I914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

GEQRGE T. McELROY OF MABEN, WEST VIRGIN 'i'A.

IMPLEMENT FOR BENDING 0R STRAIGHTENIN G RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1 915.

Application filed Aprl14, 1914. Serial No. 829,653.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, Gnonon T. MoELRo citizen of the United States, residing at Maben, in the county of Wyoming and State of W st Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Implements for Bending or Straightening Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to an improved implement for either bending or straightening railway rails.

As its primary object the invention contemplates a construction wherein and Whereby' means is provided for firmly grasping the rail acted upon at points in spaced rela- 1 tion and subsequently exerting an even steady pressure thereupon intermediate said points to in this manner either bend or straighten that portion of the rail therebe tween.

The invention as a further object aims to provide an operating screw having a nut associated therewith, the latter being so arranged relatively to the implement proper as. to provide for longitudinal movement, when in use, of the screw in either direction,

.said Lmovement being efiected through a turning of the nut.

:Thhabove and additional objects are accompli'shed by such means as are illustrated in the'ir preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out inthe claims which are app. nded hereto and form-a part of this application.

In descri ing my invention in detail reference' will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which a- Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the manner in which a railway rail may be straightened; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a difierent application of the invention to an ordinary railway rail; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

tion in connection with railway rails. the same may be readily utilized as a means for straightening or bending metal bars, pipes or the like. 7 I

Referring now to the drawings by numorals, 1 designates the body portion of the implement, the said body portion be- 1n g substantially U-shaped and provided wlth an opening 2 extending longitudinally of the connectin portion thereof. A second opening 3 exten s transversely of the 0penmg 2 and of the connecting portion ofthe said body, said opening 3 being positioned to receive an operating screw 4 extending longitudinally of the device. A nut 5 fits the opening 2, said nut being threaded upon the screw 4 and locked against longitudinal movement upon a turning thereof by reason of its engagement with the respective walls of the sa1d opening, such arrangement causing the screw 4 to move longitudinally relat vely to the body portion 1. Said screw 4 is enlarged atone end as indicated at 6, the

the said enlargementti are adapted to receive a in or keeper 9, which, in the practicalapp ication of the invention is adapted for engagement with the under surface of the base flange of the rail.

The res ective terminals of the extensions of the b0 y portion 1 are slightly concaved to engage the tread of the rail '(in the use of the implement as illustrated in Figs. 1

and 2 of the drawings) to support the rail immovable in the operation necessary to the.

straighteningof a bend or depression therein.

In the use of the device in the manner illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive,.the rail acted upon is not fitted within the cut out portion 7 of the enlargement 6, but is so positioned relatively to said enlargement as to cause the tread portion of the rail to fit or engage a groove 10 extending transversely of the cut out portion 7, one edge or corner of the enlargement being in engagement with the base flange of the rail, this arrangement causin an even pressure to be exerted upon one side of the rail in a of the nut 5 will cause the screw to bend the elements to be held rigid or against longitudinal movement and in this manner to support the rail in the desired relation upon the turning of the nut 5' and the application of pressure in a straightening operation.

In a bending operation, the retaining elements 11 are arranged over the-pins or projections 13 in the mannenillustrated in Fig. 3, said'elements being dlsposed to overlap the rails, in which position, a turning of the nut 5 in one direction will cause the enlargement 6 to engage the tread portion of the rail and, as the latter is held immovable with respect to the body, continued turning rail in the desired manner.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is apparent that either a bending or straightening of the rails may be effected by a reverse turning of the operating screw 4:; that the keeper 9 serves as an abutment for the rail in straightening same in one appllcation of the device, while the retaining elements 11 serve as an abutment for the rail in straightening the same in the other application of the device; and that by the provision of the groove 10 in the enlargement 6 of the screw, an even pressure is exerted upon the rail, both at the base flange and at the tread flange thereof.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. 1. In a device of the character described, a body portion engageable with the article acted upon, an operating element movable relatively to said body, the said element having alined openings formed therein, detachable means secured to said body and engageable with the article acted upon, said means maintaining the article in engageme-nt with said body, the said screw being further provided with intersecting transverse grooves, one of the said grooves being adapted to receive the article acted upon when bending said article vertically and the other of the said grooves being shaped to receive the said article when bending the article laterally, and a removable element v fitting the alined opening aforesaid to maintain the said article within one of the said grooves when bending the said article vertically, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, a body portion engageable with the article acted upon, an operating element movable relatively to said body, pins projecting laterally from said body, detachable means secured to the pin and engageable with the article acted upon, said means maintaining the article in engagement with said body, a head formed upon said operating screw, the said head having alined openings formed therein, the said head being further provided with intersecting transverse grooves, one of the said grooves being shaped to receive the article acted upon when bending the said article vertically and the other of the said grooves being shaped to receive the said article when bending the article laterally, and a removable element fitting the opening aforesaid to maintain the said article within one of the said grooves when bending the said article vertically, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE T. MoELROY.

Witnesses L. N. FRANTZ, L. M. MGGRAW. 

